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Ryan Truex confident in ability to navigate Richmond track tonight

Ryan Truex returns today to the site of his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series top-five finish.

The Stafford Township native finished fourth last year at Richmond International Raceway, site of tonight’s race.

"Richmond is one of the tracks I always look forward to,” Truex said in quotes provided this week by MTJ Motorsports, which is owned by his brother, Martin Jr. “I've always done well and have had good equipment there.”

The course is a three-quarter-mile tri-oval.

“It doesn't drive like a short track at all,” Truex said. “While it's a small track, you have to drive it like you would a mile and a half. It's more about momentum and hitting your marks. If you miss your line by two inches, you're going to have a slow lap.

While Truex won’t drive for his usual Joe Gibbs Racing team this week — he’ll be in an RAB Racing car — he said he will keep in mind things he learned with Gibbs.

“I've got some great advice on the track from Denny (Hamilin), and that really helped me last year,” he said. “If I hit my marks, I'm sure we'll have a great night."

Crew chief Scott Zipadelli was part of a fifth-place finish at Richmond last year with Kenny Wallace. He said he can have similar success with Truex.

"We know we need to have a good starting spot in order to have a strong race,” Zipadelli said in quotes provided by MTJ Motorsports. “We'll have to keep our ToyotaCare/Grime Boss Camry in the lead pack all night to have a shot for the win.

“The biggest challenge is getting the car comfortable for the race. We practice during the heat of the day and race at night. We have to make sure we don't overadjust the car for the track conditions. When the sun goes down, the track is going to gain grip and we need to keep up with it all night.

“We're all looking forward to having Ryan Truex back behind the wheel of our No. 99 this weekend. He's a great driver, and he's proven that he knows how to get around Richmond."